Accidentally become a father-Chapter 74: Mismatched Variable

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And understanding less and less.

The soft rustle of fabric came from the futon.

Faint.

But enough to draw attention.

Her eyes immediately shifted.

Fast.

Faster than before.

A reflex.

Yuna moved.

Slowly.

Her hand slipped out from under the blanket.

Pressing against the futon.

Pushing herself up slightly.

Not unsteady like yesterday.

But still slow.

Not fully recovered yet.

---

I watched her.

Not moving.

Just observing.

She sat up.

Her back straight.

A little more careful than usual.

Her eyes blinked a few times.

Adjusting to the light.

Then stopped—

on one spot.

The teacher.

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"...Sensei..."

Her voice was still quiet.

But clear.

No longer hoarse.

The teacher responded immediately.

Her posture changed.

Lower.

More at eye level.

Her smile appeared.

Professional.

Warm.

Different from when she spoke to me.

"Yuna."

Her tone softened.

"You’re awake."

Yuna gave a small nod.

A neat movement.

Practiced.

"...I’m sorry... for missing school..."

A reflex.

Still there.

The teacher paused slightly.

For a split second.

Then smiled again.

"You were sick. It’s okay."

Yuna didn’t answer immediately.

Her eyes shifted slightly.

Toward me.

Fast.

Just for a moment.

Like a confirmation.

---

Then back to the teacher.

"...I’m... better now..."

"Yes, I can see that."

The teacher observed her in greater detail now.

Face.

Posture.

Complexion.

Eye movement.

All the indicators.

No signs of severe illness.

Almost normal.

Only lingering fatigue.

"...Have you been eating well?"

Yuna nodded.

"...Yes..."

"Drinking?"

"...Yes..."

"Resting?"

"...Yes..."

Short answers.

But not stiff like before.

Not like a child ’performing’.

More natural.

Lighter.

The teacher noticed.

Her eyes changed slightly.

Making a mental note.

A change.

"...What did you do while at home?"

Yuna thought for a moment.

Didn’t answer right away.

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"...Slept..."

She paused.

"...Watched TV..."

"...Ate..."

Simple.

Unembellished.

Not exaggerated.

The teacher nodded slowly.

"No studying?"

A light question.

But testing.

Yuna fell silent.

A fraction of a second longer than before.

Her eyes moved again.

Toward me.

Fast.

Then back.

"...No..."

Honest.

Direct.

Not defensive.

The teacher didn’t speak right away.

But the corners of her eyes shifted.

Lifting slightly.

Not a smile.

More like... intrigued.

---

"...Good."

An answer she hadn’t expected from herself.

But it slipped out anyway.

"When you’re sick, you really should just rest."

Yuna nodded again.

Smaller this time.

More relaxed.

Not stiff.

The teacher stood up slowly.

Returning to her original posture.

Then—

once again—

looked at me.

A comparison was drawn.

Automatically.

Yuna:

neat

stable

responsive

Me:

standing without energy

heavy eyes

minimal reactions

The discrepancy.

Clearer now.

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"...Yuna."

"Yes, Sensei."

"Do you know who has been taking care of you all this time?"

The question was light.

But sharp.

Yuna didn’t answer right away.

She looked at me again.

Longer than before.

Then back to the teacher.

"...Papa."

A simple answer.

No additions.

No explanations.

But enough.

The teacher fell silent.

For a few seconds.

Longer than all the previous pauses.

Her eyes never left Yuna.

As if looking for another discrepancy.

There was none.

Everything was consistent.

Everything added up.

And that was exactly the problem.

She finally shifted her gaze.

Toward me.

---

Her look was different again now.

Not just evaluation.

There was something else.

More complex.

Hard to categorize.

"...I understand."

For the third time.

And for the third time—

it wasn’t entirely true.

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